Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday attacked the Congress, accusing it of “failing" to provide good governance due to the internal power struggles in Karnataka, and “betraying" people. It has become a “parasite party" today, he charged.
He said that a “saffron sun" was rising from Bengaluru amid the BJP’s expanding political influence across the country, in remarks indicating the party’s recent electoral triumphs in West Bengal, Assam Puducherry.
“For the past three years in Karnataka, instead of resolving people’s problems, most of the government’s time here has been spent resolving internal conflicts. The Congress government remained gripped by uncertainty over leadership and power-sharing arrangements," the PM said addressing a large gathering of BJP workers here.
Modi was referring to the ongoing power tussle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar for the past six months.
“They cannot decide how long the Chief Minister will remain. They cannot decide whether another person will get a chance or not. Everything has been kept hanging," he said.
Modi said the Congress government invariably faced anti-incumbency within months because the party lacked a governance agenda. “This is because Congress only knows how to betray people. They are false themselves, and their guarantees are also false. There is no chapter on governance in Congress’ book of power," he charged.
Referring to the NDA retaining power in Puducherry and Assam and forming its maiden government in West Bengal, and the party’s sweeping victory in Gujarat local body polls, he said the results indicated a decisive political shift.
“These election results are important for the direction of Indian politics. They reflect the mood of India’s youth, women, farmers, poor and middle class," Modi said.
He further asked why the Congress did not form a government in Kerala despite having full majority in the recently held Assembly elections. His remarks come in the wake of the Congress high command yet to decide on who will be the Kerala Chief Minister as three senior leaders are vying for the post.
The PM also accused the Congress of repeatedly betraying allies for political convenience.
Referring to the Congress-DMK relationship in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, he said the Congress had survived politically for years because of the DMK’s support, but now “stabbed" the regional party “in its back" when power equations changed.
He was referring to Congress extending support to actor-politician Vijay-led TVK forming government in Tamil Nadu after walking out of the DMK-led alliance.
He alleged that the Congress had similarly betrayed its own leaders in states such as Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Karnataka by making promises over leadership arrangements and later reneging on them.
“The same game is still continuing in Karnataka. Now Kerala’s turn has come," he said.
“Wherever Congress is in power, either the treasury is being looted to serve a royal court or there are internal fights over looted money. The Congress today has become known as a parasitic party. That is why, at the first opportunity, it betrays even its allies. Hence it is often said that there is no one whom Congress has not deceived."
“Now parasitic Congress needs another party on whose shoulders it can ride to remain politically relevant."
